


Signed, Sealed, Delivered

by thealphagate_archivist



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Angst, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-03-21
Updated: 2006-03-21
Packaged: 2019-02-02 14:40:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12728532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thealphagate_archivist/pseuds/thealphagate_archivist
Summary: Daniel and Jack learn to cope with being separated again.





	Signed, Sealed, Delivered

**Author's Note:**

> Note from the archivists: this story was originally archived at [The Alpha Gate](https://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Alpha_Gate), a Stargate SG-1 archive, which began migration to the AO3 in 2017 when its hosting software, eFiction, was no longer receiving support. To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in November 2017. We e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are this creator and it hasn't transferred to your AO3 account, please contact us using the e-mail address on [The Alpha Gate collection profile](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/thealphagate).

When the noisy buzz of the alarm went off next to Jack's head, he automatically reached to shut the thing off. He opened one eye to see the time. 0545. That was strange. They never got up that early. He searched around in his sleepy mind for a reason for the alarm having been set for such an early time. Oh, yeah. It was Monday. He remembered now. He sighed, and reached to turn the alarm off all the way, so the snooze feature wouldn't kick in.

In just a few hours, Daniel would be going off world for two weeks, on a special assignment with SG-11, the SGC's archaeology team. Daniel had been asked to supervise a dig for them, and he'd been thrilled to be asked, thrilled to be given clearance to go, and thrilled at the very idea of spending two solid weeks doing what he loved best. Jack had urged him to take the assignment, but they'd both had realized how damned hard it was going to be to be separated. 

Lying on his back, Jack looked around the room. It was still dark outside, but a small amount of moonlight was seeping around the drapes. It was that time of day when the light is so low, everything looks black and white, and color disappears from the visible spectrum. 

He turned to look at Daniel. Daniel never heard the alarm, on any day. That's why they kept it on Jack's side of the bed. You hadn't really lived until you'd had to bodily throw yourself over a sleeping 180 pound man to frantically try to shut up a squalling alarm clock to which said 180 pound man was oblivious. Daniel had complained once too many times about bruises caused by Jack's elbows as Jack had launched himself over him to shut up the alarm clock. One night, when Daniel came to bed, he'd noticed the clock had migrated to Jack's side. 'About damned time' was all he'd thought about that. Neither of them had ever mentioned it again. Peace had ruled.

Daniel was on his right side, facing Jack, his right arm curled up so that the hand was under his chin. Eyes shut, impossibly lush eyelashes on his cheeks, his mouth open just a bit, he was as peaceful looking as Jack ever saw him. At times like that, Jack was overwhelmed with the wonderful reality of Daniel, returned to him and fully human again after a long, bleak year without him. Their being together again felt so close to being a miracle, Jack half believed it really was.

Jack got up on his elbow and leaned over to put his cheek next to Daniel's, just resting against his warm face. He gently rubbed their morning stubble together, and then pulled back to look at Daniel again. Daniel didn't stir. Jack leaned forward to place a soft kiss on one sleeping eye. Again getting no reaction, he slowly moved his head to kiss the other eye, lingering a little to run his lips along the eyelashes. 

He moved up a little until his mouth was on Daniel's ear. "Danny. It's time. Wake up." He moved back to watch the sleeping face. Finally there was a little stirring awareness.

"Umm?" Daniel opened his eyes just a little and saw Jack's face so close they were nose to nose. "Jack?" 

"Yeah, big guy. It's time to get a move on. Remember?" 

Daniel smiled a little and rolled over onto his back, his eyes closed. "Yeah." He swallowed and cleared his throat. "Um. Do we have time?" Daniel's hand patted at Jack's chest for a moment.

Jack laughed a little deep in his throat. "Yup. Plenty of time." He leaned over to push his face into Daniel's neck. He snuffled around, inhaling Daniel's scent. Daniel snickered a little and Jack pulled back to look at him again.

Another little smile, eyes still closed. Daniel pushed his hands under his pillow behind his head and arched his back a little in anticipation, squirming around to get settled. 

Jack pushed under the covers to half lie on top of him, hearing Daniel little hum of pleasure. He slowly kissed his way down Daniel's chest and belly, taking his time to nip and lick as he went. Finally he took his semi-erect cock in his mouth, listening to Daniel's appreciative whimpers as a large percentage of Daniel's blood supply rushed south.

Jack made long, slow love to him with his hands and his mouth. By the time he was done with him, Daniel was well and truly awake. 

A half hour later, they were making love again in the shower. 

Daniel stood, braced with both forearms against the wall, occasionally turning his head so he could see Jack. Jack wrapped his arm around him as he thrust into him, stroking Daniel's cock with one hand. He kissed and gently bit at his neck and shoulders. 

Daniel lowered his forehead onto his arms, pressing himself back to meet Jack's thrusts, moaning and cursing words of pleasure under his breath in Abydonian. Soon he was coming for the second time that day. His breath caught in his throat.

Jack wanted to prolong their time together, but it was too much, too hot between them, and he needed Daniel so damned bad. When he felt Daniel come, the pulsating contractions squeezing him, milking him, Jack came too, pushing himself up inside Daniel as far as he could. He came with Daniel's name on his lips, telling him how good, how hot, how loved he was. Under the warm spray from the shower, Jack held onto Daniel, his arms around him, running his hands over his slippery chest and belly. He was panting in Daniel's ear, trying to catch his breath.

Daniel was hanging his head between his forearms, tremors running through his shoulders. He was sniffing. Crying? Jack hugged him tightly around the waist as he eased out of his warm body, his cheek against Daniel's shoulder. "Danny? What...?" Could he have hurt him? If so, why hadn't he said something, done something? 

Daniel had been horrified to find himself crying, sniveling, hot tears escaping his eyes, his nose running. The tears had arrived so unexpectedly, he'd had no time to try to hide them from Jack.

Daniel turned in his arms. He felt ashamed of his tears, and absolutely powerless to stop them. He only half understood why he was crying. He hid his face in Jack's neck, crying in soft little gasps, trying not to completely lose it. He bit his lip, willing himself not to sob and carry on like a lovesick girl. Shit. 

Jack held him as tightly as he could, feeling Daniel tremble in his arms. He couldn't imagine what was wrong. Except the obvious, of course. They both missed each other already.

"Sshhh," Jack said softly into his ear. "Are you okay? Don't cry..." He literally didn't know what to say. So he said the obvious. "Love you. So much." He held him, hard, and nudged his temple with his forehead. His instinct was to protect Daniel, always, but dealing with tears was frustrating, not one of Jack's strong suits. 

Daniel nodded, his forehead turned into Jack's neck. The warm water cascaded over them, massaging and soothing them, washing away his tears and the evidence of their lovemaking. Jack continued to hold him, rocking him back and forth a little in an effort to comfort him. Part of Daniel wanted to stand there the rest of the day, to put off the inevitable. 

After a minute or two, he pulled back and looked at Jack. He wiped at his nose with one finger. "Sorry. Not sure where that came from. I'm okay." He gave Jack a watery smile.

Jack searched his face. He wasn't so sure. "Yeah?"

"Yeah, I'm okay." He kissed Jack and looked into his eyes, one hand on Jack's cheek. He wanted to memorize every line in Jack's face, the exact color of his eyes, every drop of the water from the shower as it dripped out of Jack's hair. 

"I guess I didn't realize how hard this morning would be for me until right now." Daniel gave him a little shrug and wiped at his nose again.

He realized that he was making his leaving harder for Jack, which was the last thing he wanted. They'd talked about this, about their upcoming separation, and he'd done nothing but reassure Jack that it would be okay. He'd surprised himself with his tears, and knew that Jack had to have been doubly so. Their situation felt like a two edged sword to Daniel. He really wanted to go on the mission, but ha also really wanted to stay.

He looked into Jack's worried face. "Jack. I'm all right. Really. We knew this morning would be hard. Don't worry. I'll be back before you know it." He kissed Jack as if for emphasis. "I'll be fine. You'll be fine." He patted Jack on the sides of his neck, mostly trying to convince himself of the truth of his own words. 

Jack reached behind him to shut off the shower. He wanted to believe that everything was and would be "fine." He sighed. They were another step closer to saying good-bye.

* * *

Jack chose to stay up in the control room while Daniel prepared to disembark. Part of him wanted to go down the stairs and jog back to his own office, burying himself in his paperwork until he was sure Daniel was gone, but he seemed drawn to the window as if by a magnet. He was virtually oblivious to the people in the control room with him. Hammond and Davis and the others busied themselves with the computer and monitors as they prepared to fire up the gate.

He could see Daniel down by the ramp, geared up as usual in green fatigues, black utility vest with his pockets all stuffed with gear, a cammo bandana tied around his head.

The four members of SG-11 surrounded him. Daniel was in the company of those who truly understood his passion for offworld archaeology. Jack knew that a big part of Daniel was absolutely thrilled with this chance to go through the gate in the company of his colleagues, to do what he loved best. It had gotten back to Jack through the grapevine that SG-11 was also absolutely thrilled to have Doctor Daniel Jackson himself go out with them. Jack's loss was definitely their gain.

Jack stood and looked through the window at them all, with eyes for no one really except Daniel. He shifted from foot to foot and shoved his hands down deep in the pockets of his green fatigues. He sternly lectured himself about not being so stupid, for cryin' out loud. He was a grown man, and so was Daniel, and they both had work to do. And two weeks wasn't the end of the friggin' world, right? 

There were no email, cell phones or mailmen where Daniel was going, to P3X whatever, but otherwise it was just a business trip, or what passed for one in their strange SGC world. Jack told himself to get a grip, already, but he was having a hard time doing that. He knew why, even as he lectured himself. 

After SG-1 had found Daniel, newly descended, three months before, Daniel eventually had remembered their relationship, and he'd happily returned to Jack as if nothing had happened to interrupt them. Daniel had been ecstatically happy. Both of them had been. But Jack had also been in shock. He'd just started to learn to live his life without Daniel, doing the best he could. To have Daniel so suddenly returned to him was a shock of the first order, sending him reeling into an emotional place not unlike a carnival ride. Fun, but scary. 

They had picked up the pieces of their relationship in a new and richer way than they'd ever expected. But Jack had found that he hadn't really gotten off that carnival ride yet. He was terrified, spitless, at the very idea of ever losing Daniel again. Any time the man was more than 200 feet away from him, Jack had a gnawing deep in his insides, and his nerves twanged tighter than a guitar string. Jack knew this was something he was going to have to deal with. He WAS dealing with it, damn it, the best he knew how. He was hanging on, hoping that time would heal his uneasiness. He didn't know what else to do.

Daniel had reassured him over and over that he'd never choose to leave again, but they both knew only too well the dangers of their work. This two-week absence was the first real separation they'd had to deal with since Jack had found him again, and Daniel knew how hard it was for him.

Jack couldn't forget Daniel's tears in the shower. Daniel had been so enthusiastic about the trip, so reassuring to Jack that the days would fly by, he'd see, and he would be okay, they both would. And then the tears. Jack had felt absolutely powerless to understand or help. All he knew was that he loved Daniel, and he would miss him, like someone had cut off his right arm. He didn't want to feel that strongly about it, but he did.

Beside him, Davis was starting to dial up the gate coordinates. The gate started to turn, and then the first cartouche engaged. "Chevron One. Encoded." More turning, whirring and grinding. "Chevron Two. Encoded." The gate continued its noisy, familiar progress. 

Jack stepped a little closer to the window. The men below him continued to chat among themselves, checking their gear and sharing an easy laugh.

The chevrons continued to engage until the final one clunked into place. The gate's wormhole established itself with a big kawhoosh that filled half the embarkation room. As Jack watched, the glow from the blue puddle washed over Daniel and SG-11. They were picking up their gear and slinging their backpacks over their shoulders.

Hammond bent down to the microphone. "SG-11, you have a go. I will look forward to your reports. Good luck to you, and to you, Doctor Jackson. See you in two weeks. God speed." 

There was Daniel's face, upturned to the control room, giving the General a little smile.

Jack watched the beloved blue eyes search for him and then find him, knowing that he'd be there watching.

Jack raised his hand as a little farewell greeting. He gave Daniel a weak smile. Daniel gave him a wave, a tiny smile playing around his lips. Then his hand dropped, he turned and followed the rest of his team up the ramp and through the wormhole. 

A few seconds later, the gate closed down. He was gone. Jack rocked back on his heels a bit, his hands still in his pockets, pursing his lips and swallowing a big lump in his throat as he looked down at his own feet. He was grateful to feel General Hammond's warm hand giving his shoulder a squeeze. Not asking, not telling, just knowing and caring.

* * *

That night, Jack pulled the truck in next to Daniel's Subaru in the driveway at the house. He sighed as he shut off the engine and took the keys out of the ignition. He sat for a moment, listening to the silence. His house was dark. Normally Daniel would have beaten him home and turned on all the lights inside and out, welcoming him, centering him. 

Once inside, he tried not to think about the evening stretching ahead. He got the TV going, turning it up way too loud so he could still hear every word the talking head on CNN was saying, even down the hall in the bathroom, or out in the kitchen. 

He went around and put a light on in every room, deliberately leaving them burning, somehow comforted by the lack of shadows. He felt warmer with the lights glowing.

As the evening wore on, he ate the Chinese take out he'd brought home, actually enjoying eating it with a fork instead of the damned chop sticks Daniel always insisted they use. He drank a couple of beers, he checked his email, he took out the trash, and he did some laundry. Around 2100, he called his buddy Sean just to schmooze for a few minutes about the latest Nuggets game they'd both just watched on TV. 

All evening, he mostly concentrated on just doing the next thing. Every half hour, he found himself checking his watch. Amazing how time slowed down when you weren't having fun. 

Finally it was 2135, and Jack thought maybe it was late enough to go to bed early. He scratched his head and yawned. He shut the TV off with the remote and the silence hit his ears like a sledgehammer. God. Getting up from the couch, he stretched and then grabbed up his empties and the food containers to return to the kitchen.

He locked up, shutting lights off as he went, and meandered back to his bedroom. He closed the drapes and got changed and washed up, moving in slow mo. It had been a long day, and he thought he'd be able to sleep all right. He sure hoped so. 

There was only one light left on in the house. Beside the bed, one light still glowed. Jack reached to pull down the quilt and sheets, thinking hard about Daniel and the last time they'd been together in that bed. He felt cold, way down inside himself, in a place that had nothing to do with the temperature in the room. He knew where Daniel was; it really wasn't like the year of Daniel's ascension. He knew for sure that Daniel was coming back to him. But he felt cold.

His eyes fell on an envelope lying wedged under his pillow. On his side of the bed, not Daniel's. He picked it up. In Daniel's clear hand, the envelope just said ~Jack~. Black ink on an ecru envelope. 

He sat down on the edge of the bed and held the envelope in his hands. He swallowed, not surprised at the lump in his throat, something he'd struggled with all day. 

When he opened the envelope, he found a single sheet of writing paper, ecru like the envelope, folded in half, covered with Daniel's neat scrawl that was half writing and half printing. 

Daniel had written: Jack, as I write this, you are asleep in the other room. Soon we will be separated for a while. Maybe it's crazy, but I miss you already, and I haven't even left yet. Don't worry, the days will fly by, and I'll come right back to you as soon as I can. I need to tell you again, I'm so glad I got to come back to you, Jack. God, the last few weeks have been the best of my whole life. Thank you so much for your love, for the laughs, for being my friend. Do you know that I love everything about us? I love everything about you. You are the best thing in my life, and I never want that to change. Will you do something for me? Will you think about me every night when it's 10PM there? I will come to you if I can. I don't know for sure if you'll be able to feel me there with you, but it doesn't matter. There can never be any distance between us now. I am there in your heart, as you are in mine. You will be in my thoughts, tonight and every night we are apart. All my love, D.

Jack read through the letter three times, grinning to himself like a loon, before he finally let his hand drop into his lap, his eyes far away from the room he was sitting in. It had been so wonderful to see Daniel's love written out for him, in black and ecru. The cold he had felt was long gone.

He looked back at the letter. 10PM. Jack glanced at the bedside clock. The red numbers glowed 9:57. Suddenly the house seemed too confining. He wanted to find Daniel, however Daniel intended to be found, but Jack needed to see the sky.

He threw the letter down and rushed over to get his Nikes. He yanked them on his feet and quickly laced them up. He loped down the hall and snatched his warm coat off the hook by the door. He slipped it on, zipped it up, and then grabbed up his black baseball hat that was hanging there. Grabbing a flashlight, he opened the front door, jamming the hat down low over his eyes as he went outside. 

He walked quickly over to his garage and started climbing the ladder up to the roof. Once there, he walked over to his telescope and stood, head bent back, scanning the sky. Where Jack lived was far enough from the lights of downtown that he had a decent view of the night sky. It was clear that night, no moon. The stars were arrayed before him, splayed across the sky. Jack knew the winter constellations so well; he automatically started picking them out. Ursa Major. Ursa Minor, anchored by the North Star. Orion. And his favorite, Pleiades, the Seven Sisters. 

Before Daniel's ascension, Jack would have scoffed at the idea of Daniel coming to him across the galaxy. But now Jack believed that all things were possible.

"Where are you, Danny?" he whispered. He checked his watch, hitting the little switch to light up the dial. 9:59. He looked up again. "Daniel?" 

Jack waited, his heart full. He continued to scan the sky. He wasn't sure what to look for, but he consciously made an effort to reach for Daniel, deep inside himself. 

He closed his eyes then, searching for him. Suddenly, there he was. Daniel. In Jack's mind's eye. Wearing the fatigues, black vest, and bandana that he'd had on when he left. Daniel was on his knees, sitting back on his heels, holding one of those little brush thingies that archaeologists use to clean around whatever they're unearthing. He seemed to be looking directly into the eyes of Jack's soul. His gaze burned into the back of Jack's brain.

Jack had no doubt that it was Daniel. Wherever Daniel was, this was what he was doing, pausing in the middle of his work to reach out to Jack, finding him, just as he'd promised.

Jack didn't dare open his eyes, for fear the vision would disappear. The stillness around him on the roof was complete. A cold breeze came up, rustling and creaking the bare branches of the winter trees in the yard. "Danny?" he whispered. 

Daniel smiled then, as if to say hello to him, reassured that Jack could really see him as he hoped. Behind his glasses, his blue eyes glowed with love and good humor. In fact, there was a glow all around him. The light emanating from Daniel was gentle, but also powerful and pervasive, like the man himself. 

And so Jack stood, still as a statue, gazing into Daniel's eyes in his imagination. Seeing Daniel in that way felt like being inside his own dream, but somehow Jack also believed that what was happening was very real. He imagined he could even feel Daniel's warm presence around him, like honey drizzled from a spoon, starting from the top of his head, covering him, protecting him, right down to the soles of his feet.

"I love you," Jack whispered. Daniel nodded.

Daniel's lips formed the words, 'Love you too'. Jack couldn't hear his voice, but he actually read his lips. He saw Daniel laugh. How was this possible? Jack felt himself start to smile even as tears welled up in his eyes. 

Slowly, as a couple of minutes passed, the vision in Jack's mind started to fade, almost as though the connection couldn't be sustained any more. Jack tried a little harder, trying to get Daniel to stay, but he couldn't seem to make any difference. He knew that Daniel was the one controlling what was happening, and he probably also was powerless to keep it going any longer.

Daniel lifted his hand and gave Jack a little wave, just as he had in the embarkation room. Jack raised his hand, too, not sure what Daniel was able to see. And then the vision gone.

Jack opened his eyes. He staggered a little and found himself groping for the chair by his telescope. He dropped down into it, unmindful of the cold and damp seeping into his sweatpants. He wiped at his eyes with his fingers and took a deep breath. 

Putting one hand on his chest, over his heart, he raised his eyes to the sky again. When he found the North Star, he concentrated on it for a moment. Now he could really believe that he and Daniel could never truly be separated again. Maybe now the carnival ride in his heart would stop so he could get off and walk out his life, with Daniel by his side. "Thank you," he whispered to whoever might be listening. 'The best thing in his life', Daniel had called him. Jack smiled.

~finis~


End file.
